• Early in the morning the queen of Radwan laid calmly in her birthing bed as her housemaids dashed about with their greatest duty, caring for the newly born three princesses.
    King James and Queen Katharine had named their children Angela, Beatrice, and Cameron.
    As the queen laid in her bed she watched as each of her fragile daughters were moved about being cleaned and wrapped in blankets. Queen Katharine sat there with her natural curly blonde hair sticking to her sweaty forehead. The birthing process had been long and dragged out. Yet in turn each child had come out and made it all seem worth while, the queen had achieved her first birth and it was an amazing one at that.
    She carried all three of them full term and through the whole 9 months her husband watched her with a watchful eye. She smiled knowing that those glances were always full of love and care for her and their unborn children, oh how lucky she was to be married to him.
    As well the country was as lucky to have him as a king, he was the most loved king in history of Radwan. King James was able to stretch the money far, and make a budget that covered everything for the country. He gave the poor jobs and still had money to spare. He had accomplished a budget with a low tax for the whole kingdom, and this helped him too to have the most peaceful ruling of all.
    King James' researchers had provided the kingdom with tools that helped improve farming so the crops were produced more often and were healthier. With all the food the country could want more and more people moved to the country causing the kingdom to expand. Everyone wanted their hands on the plentiful amounts of gold floating around.
    The queen was proud of her husband, he was a great ruler and one day she hoped to provide her kingdom with another ruler just like her husband.
    Her husband had sat by her side and held her hand the whole time she was giving birth. Only of late had he just left her side to make sure everything was going through and running as smoothly has he had left it.
    She was sure he would return very soon and she couldn't wait to share a wonderful moment with him and their daughters.
    Prince Richard pushed the door open with his toe after he dismissed the guards. Looking around the room he saw his sister-in-law laying in the bed covered in a thin light blue blanket. Her eyes were restless waiting to hold her babies, when her eyes met his the warmth in them died and her soft jaw set hard and she gave him a stern look. She never liked her brother-in-law he was always up to no good, if it was either laying many women in his bed before he was married or if it was because he set warriors against each other from time to time to test their strength she wasn't sure, more then likely it was both. Prince Richard looked at her with a set smile on his face, she was sure it was a forced smile, and bowed, but she nodded anyway so he stepped farther into the room.
    The queen's eyes were still locked with his almost black eyes as he approached, his shaggy,greasy,revolting, brown hair slightly hung over his eyes. His eyes scanned her figure in an un welcoming way. The only thing he had in common to James was their almost black eyes, but still those too were very different, James had lively warm eyes that always brought a smile to Katharine's face, and Richard had the coldest fearful eyes any person could have met. Eyes only his mother could love, even then his mother feared him before her death ten years ago.
    Richard had reached the bed before he waved a hand for the servants to leave. The servants picked up speed and left the room in less then the minute, Angela first followed by Beatrice and lastly Cameron, then the mob of servants who attended them.
    Richard stood at the end of the bed smoothing out his red tunic, Katharine could see the scar he had achieved from his first hunting trip with James when he was 8. It trailed down the middle of his right cheek to his chin. His tunic was red trimmed with gold and it bore the crest of some family that Katharine didn't now. His leggings and shoes were the only black objects that he wore.
    "Good morning Queen Katharine," Prince Richard stated, " you are very strong to have survived that kind of birth." she nodded waiting for him to continue.
    "It's very sad you did survive though, only makes my life harder, just slightly mind you." Richard stood walked over to the door and locked it in one swift movement. He turned his back to the large oak door and walked back to the end of the bed. Richard leaned against the bed post he smiled evilly.
    "Just like my brother you too shall leave this earth long before you planned," he pulled a small vial that contained a bright purple liquid from a pocket in his belt. He laughed silently to himself as he opened the vial.
    Katharine tried to lift herself from the bed but she used all that strength to only fall down again. The bed moaned in complaint.
    " Be honored my dear sister-in-law I'm going to kill you first. Since your death will make it easier to trick your husband." he smirked pulling a thin sharp piece of metal out of his boot.
    The queen tried to get up again this time she made it to a sitting position, just before Prince Richard had reached her side of the bed to shove her back down. He held her still and pushed the needle just hard enough to break her skin.
    "It's amazing how little of this poison it takes to kill a human being. Just one little drop into your blood stream, but touching it to your bare skin does nothing. Amazing what a person of magic can do," he smiled as he put one drop over her little wound that was just by her elbow.
    "Oh James, I'll see you soon," a tear escaped from hiding on her eye lid and traced a path down her cheek as the queen promised her husband. She knew she would be seeing him soon since there was no one to stop Richard. " Richard you shall never have the loyalty of the people and one day you will go to hell and burn for eternity." the queen managed to have enough strength left in her weakening body to spit in his face before she laid back and closed her eyes. Please may the gods look after my daughters then the queen let the rest of her life slip out of her and passed away.

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    A hurried knock banged at the doors to his office. " Come in!" the king shouted. He sat in his over stuffed chair in the large circle room, the room was simple the carpet was ruby red and the wallpaper was gold. Book cases surrounded the walls, each full of scrolls and books of the history of Radwan and laws. The king's face was plastered with a large smile, he was a clean shaved man, with a strong set jaw, and his hair was covered mostly by his black and silver crown.
    He was tired after being up all night, be he wasn't ready for sleep, he was too excited. His wife fought hard to keep her life and to proved three new lives to their unborn daughters.
    "Dear brother," Richard entered the room with his head hung low, the king instantly lifted his head up to look at this brother, " your wife was unable to survive the painful aftermaths of the births of the three princesses." Richard kept his face toward the ground, trying to pull off the best performance of his life. The King's smile fell, instantly he stood from his chair, he cleared his throat trying to get the power he needed to speak. Mostly to himself he said, " My one and only true love, I should have been there with you and held your hand up to the end, but no, I had to rush off and check on things I knew were perfect anyway," by the end he had started to shout. King James let a tear trail down his cheek till it dropped onto his black tunic he was wearing. Richard walked up behind the king and placed a hand on his mourning brother's shoulder, as they stood there the king gathered his thoughts and stared out the large crafted windows and looked over the land he ruled.
    " Today we celebrate the births of my three beautiful daughters and yet mourn the death of my wise beautiful wife." James bowed his head.
    " And the country will also mourn the death as their king," Richard stated as he drove the unfamiliar dagger into his brother's back. Immediately he felt the warm blood ooze over his glove, he caught his brother in his arms and listened to his brother struggle for air.
    " Curse you to hell brother, that's the only place- where you will get your rightful-punishment," James had struggled with his conscious throughout his whole sentence, but he managed to finish before he too felt his life slip away and his soul drifted off to join his awaiting wife.
    Richard stood smiling, he took a minute to set his face and removed his glove. He took a breath and prepared to pull off another act. He ran to the door to call the guards.
    As he ran he realized he had entered that room a prince, but he exited a King.